After making a myriad of moves in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars have begun Day 3 with a bang. Just a few picks after taking Bhayshul Tuten, they've selected linebacker Jack Kiser at No. 107.
Linebacker wasn't among the Jags' top needs this year, but the unit could've used depth. It got it with Kiser, who should compete for the primary backup role as a rookie.
Kiser excels at stopping the run. He knows how to use his hands to get off blocks. He's got a wide pass-rush repertoire and is adept at bringing the heat in passing downs. That would come in handy in blitz packages. On the other hand, the former Notre Dame Irish lack top athleticism and strength. His dearth of top speed makes him a liability in coverage.
Matt Holder of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department had a fourth-round grade on him, pointing out that he's got the potential to be a two-down linebacker and carve a niche on special teams, where he thrived in college. On the other hand, he's 25, which limits his upside.
With Jack Kiser in the fold, the Jaguars are sendiing a message to Devin Lloyd
Jack Kiser won't be starting an NFL game soon, so he won't be a direct threat to fellow linebacker Devin Lloyd. Having said that, the latter should most definitely be on notice.
Lloyd got benched as a rookie and has been underwhelming the past two seasons. Sure, he's great at stopping the run, but he struggles in coverage. That's probably not what the Jags expected when they traded back into the first round to draft him 27th overall. In fact, 2023 fourth-round pick Ventrell Miller outplayed him last year.
Lloyd is entering the last year of his rookie deal, and if the Jaguars don't think he's part of the future, they could trade him to a team in need of linebacker help. They won't probably get much, likely a sixth or seventh round pick, but that's better than letting him walk next year and not get anything. And that's the thing, while the organization wasted no time picking up Travon Walker's fifth-year options, they haven't exercised Lloyd's yet.
Veteran Foyesade Oluokun is at the top of the depth chart, and Miller proved in 2024 that he deserves to line up next to him. Chad Muma is also in the mix, and after the arrival of Kiser, the Jaguars could afford to move on from Lloyd.
Sure, Kiser is just a fourth-round pick, but so was MIller and he was much better than Lloyd when he was thrust into action last year.
Regardless of how the depth chart looks, there's no doubt that the Jaguars raised the linebacker floor with the Kiser pick.